Thinking of June 7th....can't come soon enough!

[cjac]

Hey all,

I sense many of us have the winter/"winternet" blues.....and this insanely cold weather has me thinking of MN muskie opener..... I'm reminded of what a grade school teacher once said to me, "Stop talking, and start chalking"

June 7th...either midnight or let's say 5:00 AM.....time to "chalk"...

Where do you plan or "dream of" being and throwing what first?

Me: Lake "X", thorowing "X" bait!

Let's hear your ideas, Chris

[RuKiddingMe]

I'm pretty sure I'll be on Flake that morning. Changing lures every 5 casts, due to the simple fact that I haven't thrown one in 7 months or so and I suffer from a disorder commonly known as "TMNL" (too many new lures).

Till then, I'll rely on the dreams/nightmares where I awake in the middle of the night sitting up like I just set the hook, and the wife looking at me like I'M the crazy one.

RU

[PDXFisher]

Well, I live in Oregon, so I can go wherever the season opens first. If it open in WI in May, I think I will be making a trip (you still willing to show me some Wisconsin lakes Cjac?). I'm also so jonesing I think I will go visit Carbondale (where my parents met at SIU) and go out with Chad Cain on Kinkaid, if he has an opening. Heck, I felt like I had to do *something* and bought an Okuma Red Isis, just 'cause (I think I want one of every reel...at least that's where I'm headed it seems). I just received the Musky Hunter 1st season on DVD today and started watching it, so nice timing with the post

The lakes don't freeze in Washington, so I can still get to the Tigers there...should I expect them to bite this time of year? Water temp should be in the 40s somewhere. There's some 30lbers within an hour of me in that reservoir. They only seem to respond to trolling, though, which I find boring. For whatever reason, they love jointed depthraiders. They don't fight worth a darn, either. Nobody else fishes for them this time of year, maybe I should give it a shot? Better than buying more reels, I suppose.

Come June, though, I will be somewhere in the Bemidji/Cass area, if I have my 'druthers. I'll probably throw a Double Showgirl first, since that's what caught everything last year.

Derek

[Rebel9921]

Well... Right now... Im just taking it one event at a time... the countdown for me is for the MN Muskie Expo... then after that in the specific order: Thorne Bros' Annual Spring Sale, the NW Sportsman Show, my son coming up here for the summer, and finally the Muskie season opener...

I do have several options... just not sure where I'll be fishing yet... Im sure my options will grow when I meet more people at the Expo...

As for lures... not sure yet... but Im leaning toward the pink/pink cowgirl ;-)

Come on Chris... not fair for us to divulge lure/lake choices when you dont... we'll stratch your back if you stratch ours!!!

[Professional Edge]

Leech Lake milk run with the wife.

small bucktail. White or black.

Stopping by a bunch of bass spots on the way to take the pressure off of catching fish.

Then later in the week getting out with Chris to see if I can catch that fish that went around in circles on him and the one that made me fall into his splash pan on a hook set. Same fish. No it was not that hard just lost my footing and down I went. It was funny after I found out nothing was broken and that I stayed in the boat.

Entire season seemed to go that way.

Keith

[Nick Kuhn]

I'll be out earlier than the 7th on some WI waters. Most likely the Apple River Flowage or Bone, throwing either a Believer or Musky Marabou. Kinda leaning towards Bone because you're practically guaranteed to see fish (even if you aren't fishing). Only problem is that it gets hammered and will most likely be a zoo. The Flowage is more peaceful but also very frustrating. Several miles of long narrow water, tons of think shallow weeds on either side of a very narrow channel. Finding fish sometimes feels like a shot in the dark.

[Scoot]

Muskie opener will likely find me on White Earth Lake fishing for smallies and walleyes. The Monday after muskie opener, I'll be on a local lake pitching every lure in the box.

[Giant_Jackpot]

I think I am going to do like Scoot and avoid the crowds on opener. If I can’t keep that thought then I will probably hit Indy.

And if you are looking for something to scratch your muskie itch before the opener and before the Expo in Blaine, check out the post in the League/Tournament forum for the North Metro Muskies Inc Banquet. Pete Maina will be speaking and we have over $6000 worth of raffle prizes to give away. The Big door prize this year is a 2 day guided trip with Jason Hamernick on Mille Lacs including lodging.

[cjac]

 Quote:

Then later in the week getting out with Chris to see if I can catch that fish that went around in circles on him and the one that made me fall into his splash pan on a hook set.

Thanks for reminding me (again) of that one, still kicking myself...should've went deeper, or wider, or faster, or threw that Craven 180 button-hook move you told me about.... Maybe if the lure maker had another treble on there it wouldn't have missed!

Opener weekend I'll probably hit that same lake one of the days. I found a stretch about 50 yards long with several clear bottom "lanes" of sand with nice weed walls along them. An example of finding the "spot on the spot". Fish were in a post spawn mode, but stacked up on these clear areas. I'd say we saw 20 fish, had two lazy nips at the hair on smaller bucktails, but no hook-ups. It all depends on water temps really, but I'll definitely take a look there again. Like others said, I'll take a day off try Monday too and probably hit it in the TC area, WBL maybe since I know the lake fairly well.

Funny story: Last opener I was throwing a bucktail and looked down at my feet after I had cast out. There was a muskie, upper 30s maybe, just hanging there, snout about a foot off the trolling motor blade. Sat there for a good 5 seconds, then drifted off.... Don't know if it was a late follow from the prior cast or just checking things out. That proves why sometimes it's best to throw logic out the window....

Chris

[delmuts]

chris ! i've wondered that too! a few years ago we were working a shore line, and i could hear water splashing back by the outboard( it was turned off!). finally went back to see what was going on. there was a nice sized muskie with its' nose almost touching the prop. it would twitch its' tail once in a while to stay up with the boat.it finally just drifed away! Hmmm!

[Professional Edge]

I had the same thing on Sugar a couple years ago. That fish never followed a bait but it was ready to eat the blades on my trolling motor...........maybe a new lure idea.

Keith

[Whopper Stopper]

I will be on Forest Lake at the crack of dawn throwing one of the many new Bulldawgs I have purchased over the seemingly long winter. Something about that lake that always leaves you with an un-quenchable thirst for more. Cast after cast you can just feel the electric manifest into proportions that leave your knees weak and your heart thumping. Oblivious to your surroundings as you fling your lures out as far as humanly possible. Jerking and popping, hanging and hopping them. Straining for just a glimpse of a shadow or snout. Prolonging your L's and 8's in hopes of a monster inhaling your offerings at boat side. And then in a fluid motion sending your enticement on another long ride through the air in search of a taker. Oh yeah, I can’t wait to get back out and feel the burn and smell the slime. Life is good!

WS

[Andrew Erickson]

i will probably be on harriet or cedar maybe.i am way to pumped!Everyday in school im either thinkin about chasing those big winter browns or throwin the big baits and seein a monster crush it at boatside!

[mtreno]

stupid muskies - we had three or four hit the trolling motor prop after dark on mille lacs last year. sure scares a guy for a second.

ahh opener - well once again i will be out at midnight on my fav. nighttime metro lake. then the rest of the week up on the pond. course before our opener we got WI - plan on apple and then to the hay-word area. and before that we got the shelbyville trip - and before that there is cave run and green.

man i better get my gear ready we leave in 7 weeks!

[Scott M]

Dreaming of time with friends on new water

Hitting old spots

Sharpening the new hooks, replacing the old

Reading the newest musky magazine issue

Straining for follows

Seeing shadows in your sleep when you recap the day

Water droplets flying off the line and dripping off your wrist as you rip it in

Telling yourself its time to switch lures because this other lure has the right color, the right action, the right...something

The adrenaline when you feel the bite or see the follow

Meeting old friends on big waters and talking...catching up on careers, passions, pursuits...on life

They say a musky angler would keep fishing even if he didn't catch fish...and for many of us, that's exactly what we do.

[PDXFisher]

By the time I caught my first Muskie, I had spent at least 27 full days on the water and purchased around 90 lures and five rods and reels.

So yes, I fished plenty without catching anything. And I have fly four hours there to have the pleasure of doing this to myself. People say I'm crazy...they're probably right. It must do *something* for me.

[Grant Pearson]

I'll probably be at a certain metro lake at midnight pitching off a dock and then going out at day break to hopefully get the magical 50 incher. Is it June 7 yet?

[Esox_Magnum]

My season opens May 21st

[Rebel9921]

Ohhh thats sweet... got room on your boat for me?? LOL

[Esox_Magnum]

Not sure whats going on yet for opening weekend, all will depend on my partner from des Moines if it his weekend off or not. I'll know more in a month